Raw and raw conversion

Supplied software

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is provided with the 'Canon EOS Solutions Disk' which includes:

Canon ZoomBrowser EX 6.5 - Easy to use image browsing and organization with a unique interface. Includes rudimentary image editing, printing and e-mail. This latest version of the software also provides some very basic video editing. - Windows only.

Movie Uploader for YouTube - Tool for uploading videos to the Youtube website.

CameraWindow - Tool for transferring images to a computer

* Universal Binaries (Intel / PowerPC) for Mac OS X.

Digital Photo Professional is an image workflow and RAW conversion application that provides for the browsing and management of images in a folder structure as well as tagging, rotation etc. In addition it also provides an extensive range of RAW conversion features which include digital exposure compensation, white balance, tone curve, color, picture style, sharpness and lens correction parameters.

A number of different tools can be accessed from the tools menu. The Quick Check tool allows you to browse through a selection of images and assign check marks to them. The Trimming tool can be used to apply a crop to an image (the image itself is not modified, this is simply saved in the recipe).

The Stamp tool works in a similar way to the clone stamp or healing brush in Photoshop (although it is primary designed for the removal of light or dark blotches).The Rename tool can be used to change the filename of a selection of images based on a rule set. Finally you can convert multiple RAW files at a time using the batch conversion tool.

Digital Photo Professional has a comprehensive feature set. RAW conversion (in this image you can see the Edit window) certainly offers enough to satisfy even the most advanced user. In fact you can easily end up spending way too long trying the different sliders....

One of the main advantages of working with RAW files: DPP offers much more control over noise-reduction than the in-camera settings.

This latest version of Digital Photo Pro which is provided with the EOS 5D Mark III includes a new, fairly comprehensive lens correction module which allows you to correct your raw files for vignetting (peripheral illumination, purple fringing (color blur) and chromatic aberration based on lens profiles. While the same 'image imperfections' can be corrected in-camera the software gives you more control over the process. For the vignetting, CA and distortion correction you have sliders which allow you to apply a partial correction between 0 and 100%. There is also a slider to indicate the subject distance the image was taken at which helps optimizing the distortion correction.

The Lens aberration correction dialogue opens as a separate window within DPP. It contains the full image view and a magnification area at the top right. There is also the option for a grid-overlay which is useful when correcting distortion.

Raw conversion

As is normal in our reviews we like to compare the supplied raw conversion software, any optional manufacturer raw conversion software and some third party raw converter. For the purpose of this test we've picked Adobe Camera Raw, DXO Optics Pro 7 and the Canon software. Here we compare these two converters to the camera's JPEG engine to see how each of them pulls detail out of the images.

JPEG - Large/Fine, Default settings

DPP - Digital Photo Professional

ACR - Adobe Camera raw 6.7

DXO - DXO Optics Pro 7

Sharpness and Detail

Like we've seen with many Canon DSLRs Canon's Digital Photo Professional emulates the output of the camera's JPEG engine very closely. Color rendition and tonality are as good as identical but DPP applies at default settings a touch more sharpening which results in images that are, at a pixel-level, a little crisper.

Adobe Camera Raw's output is less contrasty with more subtle, small-radius sharpening and less noise reduction in the shadow areas. The end result is a more appealing rendition of the image with more natural tonality and more fine detail. DXO Optics Pro shows similar levels of detail to ACR but applies stronger sharpening and a touch more saturation at default settings. The increase in detail will only be visible at a 100% magnification and is therefore only really relevant if you plan to display your images at very large sizes but in any case processing your raw files gives you the flexibility to customise image parameters for your specific requirements.

Resolution

The resolution chart confirms the observations we've made when looking at the crops above. DPP applies more aggressive sharpening than the out-of-camera JPEGs while Adobe ACR's sharpening is more subtle with a smaller radius, resulting in better fine detail. As a consequence ACR resolves details up to marginally higher frequencies than DPP and the camera JPEGs. Again, DXO resolves similar amounts of detail to Adobe ACR but applies a little stronger sharpening. Keep in mind though that these are the results of the default settings and you can improve the output further but customizing the sharpness settings in the conversion process.

JPEG from camera

Digital Photo Professional (raw)

Adobe Camera raw (raw)

DXO (raw)

RAW vs JPEG

The 5D Mark III's 22MP sensor in combination with Canon's fine L-series lenses is capable of capturing very high levels of detail. However, as we've seen in the samples above you can squeeze some additional detail out of the raw files compared to the 'out of camera' JPEGs. By applying customized sharpening (Amount 43, radius 0.6, detail 49) to the image low contrast detail in the distant foliage in the real-world sample image below is revealed. The sample below was shot at ISO 100, 1/400th sec, F8 at a focal length of 82mm with the 24-105mm F4 Canon L-lens.

JPEG from camera

Adobe Camera Raw (raw)

100% crop

100% crop

Even if pixel-level detail is not your number one priority the ability to modify shooting parameters after an image has been taken, in raw conversion, can be extremely useful. Depending on the light source Auto White Balance systems don't always work 100% reliably and if you don't have the time to take a custom reading you can still snap away and take care of the problem in post-processing.

The picture below was taken under artificial light with Auto White Balance which resulted in a reddish cast. In Adobe ACR we modified the color temperature and slightly lifted the exposure to create a more pleasant end result. The sample below was shot at ISO 640, 1/60th sec, F7.1 and a focal length of 70mm.

JPEG from camera

Adobe Camera Raw (raw)

Raw conversion is also very useful for improving the image detail at high ISOs. The Canon's JPEG noise destroys a lot of fine detail and a customized mix of luminance and chrominance noise reduction applied in raw conversion can generate results with better fine detail. We demonstrate this in more detail on the following page.

Raw files for download

Don't just take our word for it - take a look at the Canon EOS 5D Mark III's raw files for yourself, and run them through your own software and preferred conversion settings. Here, we provide you with a selection of raw files of 'real world' scenes, and if you want to take a closer look at the 5D Mark III's studio scene shots, you can download original raw files from our compared to (raw) page.

Comments

I am new to the Canon brand and was considering a 5D3 or a 7D2. I need a camera that captures images and short video clips of very fast sports at close and far ranges. So for me, speed, image quality, and movie quality are the most important.

Edit: I should add that the sports are indoor but very fast, and I usually cannot use flash, so I have to work with what's available.

If there is another camera that you recommend beyond these two, please let me know. I have only used a Nikon D4S in the past which did well but I can no longer use that. Thanks in advance and sorry if this is a low-level question.

I am owner of 5d mark III.I ll totally disagre about noise free image of mark III.Camera make iso free, but with jpg image, where is use in camera noise filter.I can do it in photoshop with any camera.More important, and no one talk about that, raw image on 1600!! iso have noise, 3200 and more, have lot of noise.And second thing, image on higher noise are not sharp!

Hello, I've just bought a 5D3 W/ 24 - 105MM lens, upon playing w/ it, looking for the command for multiple shots, the auto focus was affected and not wokring anymore. I don't know and can not make it back to original setting. Is somebody there know and tell me what to do? please help. P.S. I tried the lens to put in another camera and it works, and attached another lens to 5d3, but didn't work as well. so I confirmed that the problem is the setting w/in the body.

I have used the 5D Mark III for over a year and have just finished selling my Nikon gear (sad day after being a Nikon enthusiast for 30 plus years). From auto-focus to camera build to overall quality, this camera can do it all! Even with the slow burst rate, it works well for sports and nature shooting! I can't recommend this camera enough. I have found the auto-focus system to be quick enough for Equestrian events with long lenses, such as Canons 400mm f2.8 or new 200-560mm.

I work in Nyc as a fashion photographer and I have to say the the 5d series are the most used cameras out side of medium format cameras .Ive been shooting with the mark 3 for over a year after shooting with the mark 2 for 2 years great both great cameras. You can see the shots I've taken with it on my website www.brianschutzaphotography.com hope it helps!!

'Some people' buy Canon because they earn their living using a camera. Oh man, you should see those forests of white and red-ringed lenses in the pro pit at every major sporting, media and news event! 'Some people' are winning the major competitions, filling the fashion and nature magazines and filming box office busting movies with Canon. "Nikon has much sharper lens" Which lens exactly? Give a photographer a Canon 5D MKIII and an EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS II USM Lens and he can take on the world. Nikon is good, Canon is good why get tribal? it is so petty and amateur. At work I can pick up a Nikon/Sony D800 body or a Cannon 5D MKIII. I prefer the Cannon because I don't like the white balance on the Nikon. Others are happy to use the Nikon, but the die hard Nikon enthusiasts are disappointed that Sony make the sensors for Nikon. In comes Sony in comes the green tinged white balance.

No cameras white balance is perfectly neutral. That's why we have the ability to manually change it on the camera and even fine tune on some of the higher end models. Nikon cameras do run slightly toward the cool side, but they can always be fine-tuned to be neutral in-camera. Canon cameras have always leaned towards the orange color tint. Luckily for Canon the end result is a slightly warmer image that many photographers like the looks of. Few pros would buy a camera that couldn't be made to produce true colors. And that forest of white lenses has been thinning out quite a bit since the advent of the Nikon D3. I'm one die-hard Nikon enthusiast who's ecstatic with Sony sensors. No other brand can even match their dynamic range.

why is the D800 is the clear winner? because of a few test charts? which camera do you own? the 5DM3 or the D800? i switched from nikon to canon because i liked canon's lenses better.

ever been to a major sporting event or a press conference? if you did you'd notice an abundance of off-white telephoto lenses with red rings on them. saying that "some people buy Canon" is misleading because pretty much everyone who makes a living off their camera gear uses Canon. and believe me, there are very good reasons for that. if you don't know what they are then it will be a waste of time trying to explain them to you. you still wont get it because you are too busy looking at test charts.